I ON CERTAIN REMOTE CAUSES OF INFIDELITY. HAD long contemplated a plain, practical essay on certain remote causes of infidelity, in the hope of its admission into the pages of your useful Miscellany; but I was roused to the accomplishment of my purpose by the perusal of some seasonable remarks, in your May Number, on the unhappy course pursued both by Lord Orford and Lord Chesterfield. No sooner did I reach the close of your stringent animadversions upon each of them, than I began to reconsider some of the most prevailing, though remote, causes of infidelity; which, though they operate, in a frightful manner, on the interests of nations and individuals, nevertheless escape the notice, and even the suspicion, of many a professed Christian. Therefore, on the admitted principle that we must determine the cause of any moral evil before we can apply a remedy, I would submit to your readers some of the less recognised, but not therefore less fruitful, causes of the evil under consideration; and then inquire in what way it may be counteracted. On the importance of such an undertaking it is scarcely necessary to insist; for few persons are so destitute of reason, of reflection, and of conscience, and so "given over to a reprobate mind," as to deny the justness, as well as the force, of the description--" an evil heart of unbelief," (Heb. iii. 12.) The generality of men will admit the malignity and pernicious tendency of such a principle; and, whatever may be the opposition of their own moral deportment to the demands and spirit of Christianity, will exclaim against the ignorance, presumption, and wretchedness of the confirmed infidel. Among those who have assumed that character, some may occasionally be found (Rousseau is a memorable instance) instructing the young out of those very Scriptures which they professedly look on as a fable; thus (I had almost said) belying their unbelief. Of the misery attendant on the last days of these martyrs of delusion, none who have been eye-witnesses of their death can entertain a reasonable doubt. The cases of Voltaire and several of his colleagues, and of Thomas Paine, our own wretched countryman, are well-known instances. I proceed then, first, to mention certain remote causes of infidelity. CHRIST. OBSERV. No. 59. 4 N I use the term "remote," as I do not remember to have seen them noticed in your pages; and they are rarely, if ever, set forth in any modern religious publication. Moreover they are such as would, perhaps, hardly be perceived, without the aid of serious thought, combined with Scriptural inquiry. Of the causes here referred to I would place parental unfaithfulness in the foremost rank. For who can question the influence of both father and mother on the morals, the habits, and the opinions of their offspring, especially when their minds have that susceptibility, their feelings that tenderness, and their will that flexibility, which belong to childhood; so that no small measure either of good or evil must be communicated to them by their naturally, that is divinely, appointed guardians. These are sure to be imitated, more or less, by those whom God himself has intrusted to them; and we continually trace, in the character of their sons and daughters, some reaction of their own principles; -a reaction which, so far as it is noxious, is, alas! too easily secured by the corruption of the human heart. If, therefore, parents, however they may admit in theory the evidences of the Christian revelation, habitually deny them by their conduct, be it either opposed to moral precepts, or confined within their narrow bounds, -are they not too likely to lay the foundation of unbelief in the minds of their unhappy offspring? Should they, for instance, manifest a preference of things temporal to things eternal, whether of wealth, pleasure, reputation, should the Lord's-day be to them a season of secular repose, if not of worldly dissipation,-can their children be expected to regard its supreme importance? It will scarcely be to them "a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable." In circumstances so fearfully adverse to their consideration of the "one thing needful," they too naturally listen to the sophisms of the practised infidel, and are ill provided with the means of withstanding his malignant efforts to overthrow their faith. Or, if we return from theory to fact, we may find certain unbelievers, who aver that the example of their parents led them primarily to doubt the reality of the Christian Revelation. Such cases have possibly fallen under the observation of the reader; -they have not been wanting to my own. Nor can I divest myself of the persuasion, that were those despisers of the Gospel of Christ, who were once baptised in his name, closely examined as to the first doubt that beset them respecting the inspiration of the Scriptures, and the first germ of unbelief that appeared in their youthful minds, not a few of them would confess (as some of their body have confessed) that, while their parents lived as if Christianity were false, they themselves were induced to ask, "Can it possibly be true?" The same observations are applicable to those heads of families who never hold out to their servants an example of Christian piety; but, on the contrary, (whatever be their moral propriety, or even observance of religious forms) leave its paths untrodden, and its graces and consolations unrealised. How keenly they are observed by servants, with regard to these momentous matters, is perhaps inconceivable to those who have never investigated the subject. I myself once heard it said by one of my own domestics, "When I lived in Mr. -'s family, we had prayers in the parlour on every Sunday night; but we could see that our master and mistress meaned nothing by them. They went on as usual in the ways of worldly gaiety, and I saw no change in their temper." Now, in such a case, what is the natural inference to be drawn by servants, if uninformed in Scriptural matters, and averse to the spirit of religion? - Surely that there can be but little in Christianity, when their master and mistress thus habitually make light of it! The greater their own influence, the more complete is the delusion of their servants. To prove that I am not ranging the airy province of imagination, I may advert to the testimony of Bishop Horne, in a note appended to a sermon on Psalm xxxiv. 11. The Bishop was insisting on the benefits of Christian education. He took occasion to record the fact, that when a gentleman visited a criminal, who had formerly been his own servant, and who was then the miserable tenant of a condemned cell, expecting shortly to be executed, he said to the prisoner, "Had you no fear of death, which the laws of your country would inflict upon the crime?" (alluding to that for which he had forfeited his life) when the servant instantly returned this memorable and overwhelming answer:-" You, Sir, had removed my greatest terror; why should I fear the less?" By this he meant, (as the Bishop went on to shew) that his master's conduct and conversation were such as to tempt his servants to imagine there was "no God." Nor can I doubt that on the great day, many a servant will rise up and astound his master with some such accusations as the following: "You cared neither for my soul nor for your own you walked in the ways of sin and vanity, and thus you taught me to pursue that broad way which has surely led me to destruction." Were I to pursue the subject into all its natural ramifications, I might shew that effects precisely similar to the foregoing, are produced on the minds of the inexperienced by their associates, their friends, and their relations. Of this melancholy truth, my own intercourse with mankind furnishes no doubtful evidence. And it would be well if those who have influence over the opinions of others, were occasionally to ask themselves, "Is my own course of life calculated to prove, or to bring into doubt, the verity of the Christian Revelation? Have I thus, unintentionally indeed, but still actually, strengthened the misgivings of the sceptic, and the awful delusions of the infidel?" And how extended, how lasting, how disastrous the consequences of an impression thus made against the truth as it is in Jesus. Though, blessed be God, it is independent of the character of its professors, still it is too often questioned when their conduct is profligate or worldly. Much also might be said of the infidelity which has frequently sprung up amid the shades of Papal error,-and (I might add) of its neighbouring province, Tractarianism itself. Of the former, the narrative of Blanco White (who, though wise enough to forsake Romanism, was, alas! so simple as finally to embrace Socinianism) has supplied very abundant evidence. And what reasonable man can doubt the tendency of a religious system which forces the belief of its recipients to weaken, and ultimately to destroy, all faith whatever in the word of God? Would that this consideration had a due place in the theories of the Tractarians, as it would assuredly lay some restraint on the boldness and unscriptural latitude of many of their theological opinions. Among those who implicitly adopt them, some will too surely testify, and at no very remote period, that having been required, like the Romanist, to believe in matters of religion too much, that is, more than is Scriptural-they at length believed too little, and at last nothing. Like the cord that is strained to excess, their faith will have snapped asunder, and proved that it was "not of God." Another "remote cause" of infidelity may claim the especial notice of the enlightened reader. Here I reluctantly refer to the example of an unfaithful clergyman. Who can possibly set limits to the pernicious effects of that "example," or calculate the number of those into whose youthful minds it may infuse the deadly poison of unbelief-a poison which may be expected to affect even succeeding generations. For if he whose "solemn and responsible office it is to preach the gospel of Christ," habitually contradicts it by his life, his manners, and his conversation, are there not those at hand who will readily, though illogically, infer, first, that he himself "does not believe what he preaches," and next, that "his parishioners are at perfect liberty to disbelieve it." Such a mistaken mode of arguing against the Christian Revelation will not fail to be suggested by its great and infernal "adversary." He Once more I avail myself of fact; though I do so under a painful sense of the peculiar delicacy of my undertaking. The first fact is this. I was travelling, a few years ago, on a stage-coach, and had some conversation with the coachman on religious subjects. Presently, to my dismay, I discovered that Tom Paine had so completely had "the start of me," as to pre-occupy his mind with error. had read his book, and occasionally applied his arguments, sorry and unsubstantial as they were, with no small degree of confidence. Having, and I would hope successfully, endeavoured to shew their emptiness, I proceeded to ask him how he had been brought up; in what society he had moved, and what post he had held previously to his present occupation? The chief reply he made was, "Why, Sir, I was once servant to a clergyman." I then inquired whether the latter had publicly and privately furnished him with wholesome admonition? The coachman rejoined, "My master cared very little about religion;" and of this fact certain evidences were produced. On my further demanding "What was the effect of his example on your mind and conduct," he replied, "Oh, Sir, it helped to make me a downright unbeliever." The next fact is that growing indifference to religion (an indifference bordering on unbelief) which, in my own immediate case, when I was very young, resulted from an act of Sabbath-breaking, committed by an English clergyman. I saw it with my own eyes. "Horresco referens;" and I thank God that the clerical character is now so materially, yes, and so extensively improved. Yet I cannot withhold the observation that infidels to the end of time might perhaps trace their rejection of Christianity and all its blessings to the unfaithfulness, the frivolity, and misconduct of those who were entrusted with their souls, their immortal souls. And, when all sins shall be brought to light, all offenders judged, and all the hidden causes of human transgressions shall be made manifest, none, I conceive, will be so accountable for the infidel career of others, as parents, masters, and, above all, the ministers of Christ, as far as they shall then he found to have been neglectful of their great duties, and unfaithful to their sacred obligations. And as the pit opens her mouth to receive those miserable beings, whom the Judge shall publicly convict of impenitence springing from unbelief, will they not vent their indignation against those who had done all that could be done, by a wicked or worldly example, to demonstrate their own rejection of " the glorious Gospel;" and who thus influenced their followers to close their ears against all its offers of salvation through the blood of Christ? Who can imagine the consternation of the ministers, stewards of His mysteries, who shall then hear the following accusation from some of their neglected people, "You have brought us into this state of condemnation, for your example taught us to set Christ himself at nought; you are the guilty cause of our eternal ruin ?" I now hasten to the inquiry, In what way the evil above spoken of may be counteracted. First, by parental example. Here I by no means overlook the necessity of parental counsel; and such as is positively required of us in the Sacred Volume (Ephes. vi. 4.) as a means of rescuing a child from the snares of the great apostacy. But I lay a stress on example, since its bright light and salutary influence must prove invaluable allies in the great work of education. When children see the footsteps of their beloved parents in "the way of godliness," have they not a speaking demonstration of the reality of the Christian faith. Compared with such an evidence as this, volumes of the most acute reasoning, and the most substantial fact, can possess but little force. The latter means of conviction being opposed by pride and self-indulgence, are continually known to fail. Rarely, perhaps, has the former been wholly destitute of effect : for must not a child receive a deep and indelible impression of the truth of the Christian system so long as he perceives in his parents a cheerful and consistent exhibition of it? A like bar to unbelief on the part of servants may properly be adopted by a master. Let him, in dependence on that Sanctifier who alone can implant in man a saving faith in the Redeemer, and with unfeigned supplications for His grace, daily instruct his household in the word of life, let him conduct family prayer with the deep and impressive earnestness of a believing heart, above all let his temper and deportment serve continually to illustrate all his Christian admonition, and such a mass of Scripture evidence will thus be presented to his domestics as few will be able to withstand. They would, not reluctantly, admit that a volume which so happily influenced the mind and conduct of the master, must at least be good, and thus they would be the better prepared at length to regard it as Divine. Here I am picturing a scene which would beautifully illustrate the precept of our Blessed Lord, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven." (Matt. v. 16.) Instances are not wanting of unbelievers being staggered by such specimens of consistent piety. I myself have known persons of that infatuated class, who would turn, with professed admiration, to the fearless follower of Christ, and then remark concerning him, " That man lives as if the New Testament were true," -not (as I have remarked above) that the truth of any system depends on the character of its advocate. It has also been my privilege to learn, on authority which could not be doubted, that an infidel physician was once so impressed by the patience and cheerfulness of a Christian sufferer, that at length he came to the conclusion, "The Gospel must be true, and its consolations real." Would that all Christian pro |